Warning Signs of Nursing Home Neglect and Abuse

Some people can grow old and still provide care for themselves without a problem. However, there are some people who are afflicted by various illnesses, conditions and injuries that prevent them from being independent. This usually keeps them from properly caring for themselves. When an older person reaches this stage in life, they generally are placed into a nursing home. Most nursing homes are safe places for seniors. However, some elderly care facilities are filled with abuse. You should know the warning signs that a loved one is experiencing abuse within a nursing home. Keep reading to discover what they are.

1. Signs that Reveal Physical Abuse

Do you notice strange marks and bruises on a loved one’s body since they have been admitted to a nursing home facility? Are there restraint marks on their wrists, knees or ankles? Does your admitted parent or grandparent suddenly have a broken bone? All these injuries or bodily marks could indicate abuse. However, some physical abuse is hard to find. If you are aware of what to look for, you will more easily be able to spot the warning signs. You should periodically check for this problem whenever you visit a loved one in a nursing home.

2. Indicators of Sexual Abuse

No one wants their loved one to experience any form of sexual abuse. Unfortunately, various forms of sexual abuse happen within some nursing home facilities. You can tell that there is a problem if your loved one suddenly develops a sexually transmitted disease, if they have bruising on or near their genitals, buttocks or chest area. Another indication of sexual abuse could be unexplained bleeding near the lower orifices of your loved one’s body. You should also ask your nursing home patient if they have experienced any type of abuse by a care provider. You should also ask them if something is happening if you believe that something is wrong.

3. Mismanagement of a Patient’s Finances

Some nursing home facility workers are responsible for a patient’s money. However, some of these individuals do not always handle patient’s finances with care or respect. As a result, they start to skim money from their accounts, withdraw money from their savings or checking or purposely add their names to various forms just to have further control of their finances. If you notice missing money, unusual products appearing on your loved one credit or debit cards or they suddenly have less money to pay for healthcare costs, make sure no form of financial abuse is occurring.

4. Lack of Personal Care

Nursing home abuse also happens when the staff doesn’t perform the necessary cleaning and care of patients. If you notice your parent or grandparent is dirty, has bedsores or has a bad appearance, chances are it stems from a lack of personal care. Nursing home patients that are able to take care of themselves sometimes fail to do so. That is okay. However, if a patient needs assistance and they are not getting this help to keep themselves clean, that’s a serious problem. Unsafe living conditions, dirty sheets and clothing, and bad hygiene can all be signs that a nursing home resident is being neglected.

5. Fraudulent Healthcare Practices

If you notice that your nursing home resident is receiving new diagnoses or treatments that seem out-of-the-blue and irrelevant, or they are not getting enough medical assistance, this could be a sign of abuse. Fraudulent healthcare is a problem that plagues many residents of nursing homes. It may stem from staff that is not properly trained or from employees who have no business working in such an environment. Harrell & Harrell personal injury lawyers in Jacksonville is a law firm that handles nursing care abuse cases. If you suspect abuse, take immediate action.